Hanger device with foldable arms

ABSTRACT

A hanger device comprising a central post with a plurality of support arms pivotally connected and movable between folded and extended positions with respect thereto. The arms are each formed of a single piece of metal rod, or heavy gauge wire, and are so formed as to provide a stop for themselves, by contact with the central shaft, when in the extended position. Means integral to the arms and central post are also provided for releasably maintaining the arms in the folded position, wherein the device is more compact for storage or transport.

United States Patent 1 1 Carter 1451 July 31,1973

1 1 HANGER DEVICE WITH FOLDABLE ARMS [76] Inventor: Ray L. Carter, 428 Chestnut St.,

Phoenix, NY. 13135 1221 Filed: Nov. 22, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 201,035

[52] US. Cl. 211/171 [51] Int. Cl. A471 5/12 [58] Field of Search 211/171, 172,170,

[561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 836,321 11/1906 11111 211/177 x 1,038,198 9/1912 Randall et a1 211/177 1,522,998 1/1925 Buerger et a1. 211/99 X 2,542,884 2/1951 Trebules ct al. 287/99 X Pawsey 248/240 X Sutton 248/156 X Primary Examiner-Ramon S. Britts Attorney-F. P. Keiper et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A hanger device comprising a central post with a plurality of support arms pivotally connected and movable between folded and extended positions with respect thereto. The arms are each formed of a single piece of metal rod, or heavy gauge wire, and are so formed as to provide a stop for themselves, by contact with the central shaft, when in the extended position. Means integral to the arms and central post are also provided for releasably maintaining the arms in the folded position, wherein the device is more compact for storage or transport.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENIED M3 1 3. 749.253

% f Candi INVEN'ITOR.

BY QKMQMJ M ATTORNEY PAIENI0JuL31 ms sum 2 or 2 FIG. 7

INVENTOR.

BY Q EWM ATTORNEY HANGER DEVICE WITH FOLDABLE ARMS The present invention relates to portable hanger devices and, more particularly to hangers comprising a vertical post to which a plurality of foldable arms are attached.

It is often desirable for camping, cooking, or general outdoor use to have a support means readily at hand for hanging utensils, clothing, or other items. Since the location in which such support means is required is likely to change from place to place, it is a common practice to provide for ease of placement in any outdoor location by inserting the lower end of the central shaft or post into the ground. One or more arms are provided to extend outwardly from the central, vertical post for supporting the articles, and it is also conventional to make such arms foldable or removable with respect to the central post to make the device more compact in storage or transport.

The present invention has as a principal object the provision of a hanger device of the aforementioned type wherein the arms are formed of a single piece of material, pivotally connected to the central post and so formed as to provide a stop, limiting pivotal movement of the arm from the folded to the extended position. The device is thus constructed in a simple and economical manner, while being quickly and easily moved between the extended and folded positions of the arms. Construction is further simplified by providing means associated with the arms themselves for maintaining the latter releasably in the folded position. In one embodiment the arms are formed with a crimp or slight protrusion which cooperates with a portion of the central shaft to form a detent, while in another embodiment a portion of the arm is maintained in close frictional engagement with the central shaft when in the folded position. The provision of such novel means for releasably holding the arms in the folded position with respect to the post is a further object of the invention.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the invention with the arms in the extended position and various utensils hung thereon;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the central post witlfa first embodiment of one of the arms shown in the folded and extended positions in solid and dot-dash lines, respectively;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, as seen from the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing two arms, one mounted on each side of the central post, the folded position;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, in section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, of the central post;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, side elevation, as in FIG. 2, showing a second embodiment of the arm,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view, as seen from the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of another embodiment of arm, shown in folded and extended positions;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 7, seen from the opposite side of the central post; and

FIG. 9 is a plan view in section on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Central post 10 serves as a support for a plurality of arms 12, attached to the post for pivotal movement between the extended position shown in FIG. I, and a folded position in close proximity to the post. The lower end 14 of post 10 is preferably pointed to facilitate insertion in the ground, as the device is intended for outdoor use. The post is preferably of a hollow, tubular metal and in the illustrated embodiment, is essentially square in cross section. Rigid plate 16 may be fixedly attached, e.g., by welding, to post 10 so that a persons weight may be applied, by stepping on an upper edge of plate 16, to force end I4 into the ground. Utensils 18, or any other desired items may be hung from arms 12. Post 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as being twisted along its length so that arms 12 may be vertically spaced more closely to one another without being in the way of an item suspended from the next arm above.

In FIG. 2 one of arms 12 is shown in solid lines in the folded position. The arm is pivotally movable about pin or rivet 20, extending into or through post 10, between this position and the extended position, shown in dotdash lines. Outer extremity 22 of the arm, on which an item is to be hung, is preferably hooked or curved to some extent. At the end opposite extremity 22, arm 12 is bent around pin 20, preferably by 180 or more, and includes shank portion 24 with end portion 26 (FIG. 3) bent around post 10. As arm 12 is rotated from the folded position to the extended position it is moved approximately 90", as seen in FIG. 2. In so moving, end portion 26 is moved until it contacts the side of post 10 below pin 20. This contact of the end portion of the arm with the post is what defines the extended position of the arm.

Approximately midway between outer extremity 22 and the bend around pin 20, arm 12 is provided with a crimp, or inwardly extending (toward post 10) protrusion 28. Post 10 is provided with longitudinally extending grooves 30 in each side thereof. The portion of arm 12 which is bent around pin 20 is tightly engaged between the head of the pin and post 10. Thus, the upper portion of the arm is also urged against the post when the arm is in the folded position, thereby urging protrusion 28 into groove 30, as best shown in the cutaway portion of FIG. 3. Arm 12 is preferably made of metal rod or heavy gauge wire or any suitable material 7 such as wood or plastic but not limited to these and thus has some natural resiliency. The engagement of the protrusion on the arm with the groove in the post acts as a detent means, retaining'the arm in the folded portion. Thus portions of the post and arms cooperate to define both the extended and folded positions with no additional elements being required for either.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a slightly different embodiment wherein protrusion 28 is provided on shank portion 24 of arm I2. Grooves 30 in post 10 are the same as in the previous embodiment. Of course, the grooves,

tire length of the post so that the later positioning of the arms thereon is not limited.

FIGS. 79 illustrate a somewhat different embodiment wherein only frictional engagement, rather than detent means, is used to maintain the arm in the folded position. Thus, post 10 may be without grooves, or the like, as best seen in cross section in FIG. 9. The post may, of course, be of a shape other than square in cross section. ln this embodiment arm 12 is not mounted on a pin; rather terminating end portion 32 extends through post 10 and is secured by a pushnut or other lock washer 34 which is frictionally pressed on the end of the arm. The portion of the arm on the opposite side of the post from lock washer 34 is bent back toward the post and then bent to include a portion 36 extending perpendicularly to the position passing through the post. The tight engagement of lock washer 34 on the tip of end portion 32 maintains portion 36 in close engagement with post 10, thereby inhibiting somewhat rotation of arm 12 so that it tends to remain in the position in which it is placed. It may be easily manually rotated, however, when desired. Arm 12 is again bent 90 from portion 36 to form portion 38 (FIG. 9) extending parallel to the adjacent side of post 10. Portion 38 serves as the stop for arm 12 in the extended position, with the major portion 40 of the length of the arm extending outwardly from the post.

While several forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A hanger device comprising:

a. a central post of essentially square cross section;

b. at least two pairs of hanger arms pivotally attached to said post and movable with respect thereto between a folded position, wherein said arms extend in side-by-sidc relation along substantially their entire length with said post, and an extended position,

wherein said arms extend substantially perpendicularly from said post; 0. the two arms of each pair being mounted on opposite sides of said post for rotation about a common axis in opposite directions from the folded and extended position; one arm of each of said pairs being mounted on the same side of said post, the latter having a 45 twist about its longitudinal axis between the two pairs of arms, whereby the two arms of the same pair are arranged at to one another when in the extended position, and the arms of opposite pairs ,mounted on the same side of said post are arranged at 45 to one another in a plane normal to the post axis; and

e. a portion of each of said arms being so formed relative to said post and the pivotal mounting of said arms thereon that said portions serves as a stop, limiting travel of said arms in the direction of said extended position.

2. The invention according to claim I wherein a second two pairs of arms are mounted on said post on the two opposite sides thereof other than the two opposite sides on'which the first two pairs are mounted.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said post is twisted 45 about its longitudinal axis between each pair of arms mounted thereon.

4. The invention according to claim 1 whereinthe two arms of each of said pairs are mounted on a common pin extending through said post and said portion comprises a shank extending in a plane substantially perpendicular. to the plane of the major length of the arm, said shank limiting travel by contacting a side of said post perpendicular to the side on which the arm is mounted. 7 

1. A hanger device comprising: a. a central post of essentially square cross section; b. at least two pairs of hanger arms pivotally attached to said post and movable with respect thereto between a folded position, wherein said arms extend in side-by-side relation along substantially their entire length with said post, and an extended position, wherein said arms extend substantially perpendicularly from said post; c. the two arms of each pair being mounted on opposite sides of said post for rotation about a common axis in opposite directions from the folded and extended position; d. one arm of each of said pairs being mounted on the same side of said post, the latter having a 45* twist about its longitudinal axis between the two pairs of arms, whereby the two arms of the same pair are arranged at 180* to one another when in the extended position, and the arms of opposite pairs mounted on the same side of said post are arranged at 45* to one another in a plane normal to the post axis; and e. a portion of each of said arms being so formed relative to said post and the pivotal mounting of said arms thereon that said portions serves as a stop, limiting travel of said arms in the direction of said extended position.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein a second two pairs of arms are mounted on said post on the two opposite sides thereof other than the two opposite sides on which the first two pairs are mounted.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said post is twisted 45* about its longitudinal axis between each pair of arms mounted thereon.
 4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the two arms of each of said pairs are mounted on a common pin extending through said post and said portion comprises a shank extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the major length of the arm, said shank limiting travel by contacting a side of said post perpendicular to the side on which the arm is mounted. 